An Israeli ministerial committee is set to discuss captive soldier Gilad Shalit deal on Sunday, and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has asked it to draft a list of 450 prisoners that Israel may release in exchange for the soldier, local daily Ha'aretz reported on its website Friday.
A senior government source was quoted as saying that Hamas recently increased the number of Palestinian prisoners it wants Israel to release in exchange for Shalit, from 1,000 to 1,500.
Mark Regev, spokesman for Olmert, declined to comment the issue in a telephone interview by Xinhua.
According to the report, a meeting with senior cabinet ministers was held on Wednesday, attended by Olmert, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and senior defense officials. Barak reported on his trip to Cairo on October 25, during which he discussed the Shalit deal with Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak and intelligence chief Omar Suleiman.
Barak said Egypt told Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak that Hamas is currently demanding 1,500 prisoners in exchange for Shalit.
Initially, Hamas had demanded the release of 450 prisoners, and submitted a list of the specific prisoners it wanted. A few months ago, it raised its demands to 1,000, with the initial 450 to be freed simultaneously with Shalit, report said.
Some senior Israeli officials believed that the cease-fire hardened Hamas' stance by eliminating the pressure Israel had been exerting via both military operations and an economic blockade. Asa result, Hamas no longer feels any urgency about concluding a deal, said the paper.
They argued the only way to conclude the deal was to go back to exerting pressure, even if this endangers the truce. Shin Bet security service chief Ofer Dekel suggested halting all fuel supplies to Gaza or closing the border crossings that were reopened under the truce.
Barak, in contrast, said that Israel had to demonstrate a willingness to move toward Hamas' demands.
"We embarked on the truce for Gilad Shalit's sake, and we need to utilize this period to achieve progress in the negotiations," he noted, continuing that "If we demonstrate more willingness, Hamas will demonstrate more willingness."
Source:Xinhua
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